RJays Swift (Riding Jacket) – Reviewed

I believe two wheeler are the most vulnerable things on the road. We are at the mercy of cars, Lorries, cows and dogs. All it takes is a little sand on a corner to take a biker down.

This is why we need proper riding gears to save our ass; and the most important one is always a good helmet. Second one would be a RIDING JACKET. Now there are many models and brands available in the market, but how should you select one?

How to choose a perfect jacket

The few most important points to be considered are;

1. Level of protection 2.Weather condition 3.Fit and Finish 4.A well established brand

P.S: For general guide on why riding gears are important & how to choose the perfect gear, read this.

So now let’s get into an extensive review of Rjays Swift mesh riding jacket, after using it more than 10,000kms.

Now the Rjays swift, has Removable Protector EN1621-1 approved elbow and shoulder armours and a high-density back foam pad. This is not much but enough to cover vital areas. One thing is really missing though, there’s nothing protecting the kidney, not even a simple foam pad. The jacket is constructed with super protective heavy duty 500 denier ballistic nylon which offers good abrasion resistance.

All of these CE rated protectors can be removed so it’s easier to wash the jacket. Even though it’s removable, the protectors can’t be upgraded, maybe you can if you ever find better specification protectors in same size but that’s very rare. So I’ll say this jacket provides adequate protection but there’s plenty of room for more.

So that takes care of the aspect regarding to armour.

The armorElbow,shoulder and back

Protection level: 5/10

The swift is a mesh jacket which means its better suited for the places which are hot and humid most of the time of the year, like my place: Kerala. The jacket is purely designed for good ventilation, making it in all effect a wonderful summer time riding jacket; it won’t even make you very uncomfortable to walk under the sun wearing this jacket. For the summer use i’ll say ‘it’s superb’.

Front

Back

But there’s a downside, the rain and the cold. This jacket has no “water proof” inner liner. YES, Rjays advertised it as a 100% water proof liner but it’s not. The removable liner provided by them just won’t keep out water for anything bigger than a slight drizzle. Believe me I have tried it many times in rain and always I ended up soaking wet.

Mesh panels

Front opened

So, can you use this jacket in rain? No, it’s liner has no water proofing quality as promised. All that it promises is a bit of water resistance, say it’s like splash proof, Meaning; in a small drizzle, the inner liner will keep you dry and that’s about it. Also note that the jacket’s two provided pockets aren’t water proof too.

Comfort level in summer: 9/10 In monsoon: 3/10 In winter: 6/10

Now, getting to the fit & finish, I found the quality of the jacket to be extremely good, even after 10,000kms of use in heavy rain and under scorching sun there’s not even a single stitch that is undone. Every part of the jacket is of good quality starting from the materials used to the zippers. It has waist, wrist and elbow adjustment straps so it will fit to your body and all the armours will stay at its place. The jacket is available in multiple colours, I chose all black because it blends in with everything. It has reflectors on back and near shoulders for good night time visibility, a very good safety feature.

Fit and finish: 8/10

Rjays is an Australian riding gears brand. All of its products are tried and tested extensively, so choosing this brand wasn’t a hard decision to make. I’m very happy with my purchase and if I buy another jacket it sure will be an Rjays too (with rain liner). 😀

P.S : If you are unable to find reviews for a particular product , and wish to get a review,of the same.Then do write to us at : wheelsnshields@gmail.com , and we will respond to you and try to arrange a full blown review of the same.